Big Update! The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the county’s use of injection wells at the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility since the early 1980s violates the federal Clean Water Act. Sierra Club Maui, Surfrider Maui, the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund, and West Maui Preservation Association first brought the lawsuit in 2012. Read our lawyerʻs press release here.
This testimony action has now ended. Maui County could be the first in the world to pass legislation phasing out the sale and use of oxybenzone and octinoxate-based sunscreens! Oxybenzone and octinoxate, two of the most common active ingredients in chemical sunscreens, are scientifically proven coral killers. We need to do everything we can to protect our reefs and the organisms that live off them. In December 2017, Maui County’s Council will vote on … Read more
October 2017 Moratorium Updates On the morning of Sept. 18th, IEM members Mike White, Yuki Lei Sugimura, and Riki Hokama announced they would not make the meeting, and so there was no quorum. The meeting went ahead with a GPS presentation demonstrating the exact areas where the moratorium would cover. Because there was no quorum, a vote on the moratorium was deferred. Absence of 3 council members prevents vote The moratorium (officially IEM item … Read more
Published August 24, 2017 in The Maui News “Sand Mining Lawsuit: Two testify they saw work being done without a monitor”
Published August 17, 2017
On Monday, August 14th at 1:30 PM the County Council’s Infrastructure & Environmental Management (IEM) Committee will meet to discuss and possibly vote to pass a sand mining moratorium bill out of committee. The meeting was postponed from July 31st because they didn’t have quorum. Stand up for ʻiwi kūpuna and our environment – come testify in support of the moratorium (County Council Chambers – 8th Floor, 200 S. High St., Wailuku) or send your … Read more
July 11, 2017 JOINT PRESS RELEASE Maui Community Groups Reach Settlement Over Future of Mākena Region Impacts of Luxury Development on Environment and Cultural Practices Significantly Reduced Community groups and the owner of Makena Resort (ATC Makena) have reached an agreement regarding the future of the Mākena region. The agreement includes reducing density throughout the entire Mākena resort lands as well as the makai parcels, preservation of on-street public beach parking around Makena Landing, affordable … Read more